VIMS

Smooth Hammerhead Shark

Sphyrna zygaena
 
Smooth hammerhead sharks are uncommon in Virginia waters.

SMOOTH HAMMERHEAD ID GUIDE

These sharks are uncommon visitors to lower Chesapeake Bay and adjacent coastal waters in summer and fall.

Maximum size

Approximately 13 feet  total length (4 meters)

Range

Inhabits warm-temperate coastal waters in the western Atlantic from Nova Scotia to Florida and Brazil to Argentina. 

Diet

Bony fishes, stingrays, and small sharks

Depth range

Coastal zone to 600 feet (200 meters)